With the 28th pick, the Dallas Cowboys choose Taco Charlton (yeah, I'm late to the party... But kinda cool to see guys like Todd Archer nail this one!)

Also, giving credit where credit is due:

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“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

So how do we feel about this pick? Is he a "war daddy", just a guy, or something in between?

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“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

Now I'm outta here before UD comes in and berates us for posting this in the Mavs section.

Oh wait.......

Whoops, I blame my stupid smartphone.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

Secondary, pass rush, wideouts who can play special teams... No wasted picks on QBs, TEs, RBs, etc.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

Not to mention that Jaylon Smith and Charles Tapper finally getting healthy is like getting additional 1st and 4th round picks.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

Not to mention that Jaylon Smith and Charles Tapper finally getting healthy is like getting additional 1st and 4th round picks.

I've been trying so hard to keep my Jaylon Smith excitement level down. It's really not working. Next weekend he is expected to work out in the rookie minicamp, no idea if Tapper is also but I'd assume so. So many faces to watch next weekend if that's true.

Fuel for the fire: Smith was the consensus #1 pick just before he got injured.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

Fuel for the fire: Smith was the consensus #1 pick just before he got injured.

Which says a lot about that injury he got when no one wanted to touch him in that 1st round. I'm rooting for him. Our defense needs him. But we had so much success with last years draft.......its going to go down as one of the best with Zeke, Dak, Brown and Collins all starting for us in our rookie year.

@SportsSturm: Here are the disturbing NFL suspension totals since the start of 2014. Dallas with a (un)healthy lead on league.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

@toddarcher: Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith with his first "wow" moment of camp, shooting the gap on a Darren McFadden run for a would be tackle for loss. Tremendous burst.

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“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

I expect Jaylon to get spot snaps here and there this year. Maybe work his way into a role in a sub package. I don't expect to see him make a real impact until next year though after seeing his video clips so far. Not knocking him or saying that it's unexpected... In fact it should be expected to be a slow process. Just saying he looks like he still has a ways to go, he looks pretty stiff and slow in a lot of the clips I've seen.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

@AdamSchefter: Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is expected to appeal 6-game suspension, per sources. Has three business days to file appeal.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

How about that first half? Darren McFumbles and Kellen MoreFumbles trying to bobble the game away...

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“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

@Birddog26: I am looking through a scouts eyes and give Jaylon a B- on his first outing in a live game. I do not see that as bad at all.

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“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

Cooper Rush making a strong case to be Dak's backup -- 8/9 for 92 yards and 2 TDs with 0 INTs (148.8 RTG).

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“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

@toddarcher: There are times in camp where runners just hit a wall when contacted by Jaylon Smith. Darren McFadden just experienced that on a run up the middle.

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“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

The more that comes out with this the more the NFL just looks bad. The one person who interviewed the alleged victim isn't present in the final meeting with Goodell and the committe? And her findings are left out of the 160 page report that the NFL released? And this investigator's boss only offered up an explanation of 'it was decided with the committee to be left out"... There is only one reason to leave the report out of the only person who actually met and spoke to the alleged victim, that the decision was made to suspend Zeke and the report didn't help the NFL's cause in doing so. I can't think of one reason to leave out the lead investigator's findings, and when it's on such a serious crime as this, for Zeke to be labeled with this without evidence and now without the findings of the investigator? Good grief the NFL could not have screwed this up anymore than they did.

The more that comes out with this the more the NFL just looks bad. The one person who interviewed the alleged victim isn't present in the final meeting with Goodell and the committe? And her findings are left out of the 160 page report that the NFL released? And this investigator's boss only offered up an explanation of 'it was decided with the committee to be left out"... There is only one reason to leave the report out of the only person who actually met and spoke to the alleged victim, that the decision was made to suspend Zeke and the report didn't help the NFL's cause in doing so. I can't think of one reason to leave out the lead investigator's findings, and when it's on such a serious crime as this, for Zeke to be labeled with this without evidence and now without the findings of the investigator? Good grief the NFL could not have screwed this up anymore than they did.

Yeah, this garbage would totally get thrown out of a court of law... Oh, wait, this garbage DID get thrown out of a court of law.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra

You would think the person who one on one interviewed the supposed victim could easily be swayed in light of how terrible domestic violence can be. But she didn't recommend suspension because the supposed victim is totally full of dog doo.

What sucks is that he ether did or didn't beat her. Getting of few games off the suspension still implies guilt which is the nonsense of this. I would totally go as far as I could legally if I knew I was innocent. So far there just hasn't been enough evidence to say he was guilty.

So... Josh Brown gets suspended 6 games today, on the day of the ruling for Zeke's TRO. But the NFL says it's just a coincidence...right. And Brown said back in Februrary that he never denied the incident, so no new facts have come out since the beginning when they gave him the 1 game. Yet the NFL claims they reopened the investigation after giving him 1 game based on new information.

I really didn't think the NFL could look worse and yet... I should have known better.

Yeah when you go through all the stuff the judge said about the NFL and especially Henderson, the arbitrator, it really paints a picture. Before his response I thought Zeke's best case scenario was to have the suspension delayed to next year. Now I honestly feel like he has a chance to get it entirely overturned when it all plays out. Brady didn't really have a case about unfairness outside of Goodell being the arbitrator. Zeke though has a case about how the Arbitrator is on record making some very very questionable decisions that all amount to giving Zeke no chance at making a case by disallowing testimony and most importantly notes from the investigator. Basically denying him evidence for no reason whatsoever and he thankfully saw right through it. It all will depend on how high it goes and if the courts are willing to intercede in something they don't like to do, which would be setting a precedent in something that is entirely why you have labor negotiations... but I think he actually has a shot unlike what I felt Brady had.

How 'bout that Cowboys defense? Sure, Odell was out, but they have too much damn talent on paper to have been ranked so low by pretty much every sports writer/ranker. Nice to see them shut everybody the hell up for a week.

Jaylon Smith is the real deal -- dude just shuts guys down when they get within reach... It's starting to look like we got 3 of the top 5 picks in last year's draft.

Dak struggled a bit, although the Giants do have a pretty good defense -- at least he didn't have any turnovers. No style points, but a win is a win.

Also, congrats to Witten for setting the Cowboys all-time most receiving yards. Dude is a rock.

__________________
“It’s the Dirk Nowitzki effect on their offense. As a defense, you absolutely overreact to every situation he’s
in -- or even that he’s not in -- and then you lose all sight of your team defensive rules." --Erik Spoelstra